Comments | agentxpndble: You may recall me going postal last year?

agentxpndble

You may recall me going postal last year?

Mar 28, 2007 18:34

Uber-geek that I am, I had a really good time at a two hour "class" at the Post Office today about the new postal rate structure taking effect May 14. Advanced postal theory makes me hot. ;-)

The short story:

Rates are going up again. Figuring out what the rate is for any particular piece of mail will require you to return to the advanced ( Read more... )

world_events, i_am_insane, geek_stuff

Comments 14

(The comment has been removed)

agentxpndble March 29 2007, 01:21:59 UTC

The forever stamp confuses me - I wish I had asked about the length of time they would be for sale, it makes all the difference. I mean, do they *really* want everyone buying 10 years worth of postage all now (and then not buying postage for years and years?) Doesn't seem very smart to me.

Couldn't say about Christmas... It all depends on dimensions plus weight plus service... Some combinations of those factors actually will see a decrease in cost, but it just depends. If you take the time to understand the scales/factors, you can play the system to reduce costs - Sometimes the deciding factor depends on an inch in length or a certain packaging material.

agentxpndble March 29 2007, 02:04:18 UTC

Here's the forever stamp info: http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2007/sr07_011.htm

So, they sell forever too but when postage goes up, they charge the new rate. How much you want to bet that they place a cap on how many you can buy when a new rate is announced? It would be a fiscal nightmare for them if they didn't... Although businesses face a barrier in stocking up for several years in that the money has to be on their books for their own annual budgeting, etc. So maybe it will work.

elicia8 March 29 2007, 00:44:36 UTC

*bangs head against wall*

agentxpndble March 29 2007, 01:22:52 UTC

*joins you*

eldritchhobbit March 29 2007, 01:40:50 UTC

Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

agentxpndble March 29 2007, 01:53:53 UTC

I actually feel so sorry the poor front-line post office workers, I can't even get worked up about it personally. Not only do these poor schlubs have to understand all these new rules and rates (two hours was the fast breeze-through of the basic idea of the plan, not any kind of practical detail,) but they have to deal with explaining it to the angry, frustrated public who won't hear about this until the day they have to mail something for the first time under the new scheme... I anticipate a mass Exodus of post office employees *or* a rash of postal shootings.

agentxpndble March 29 2007, 02:32:17 UTC

LOL! Check out the usps site! http://www.usps.com/

I sense that the R2D2's aren't far away. ;-)

scarletslippers March 29 2007, 07:06:04 UTC

Our own postal system has recently had a similar major overhaul - it used to be that packets were sent purely by weight, but now it's calculated by size as well. You used to be able to buy books of first class stamps, but there are now two types of first class stamp - one for regular-sized 'small' envelopes, and a more expensive type for 'large' envelopes. I'm still not entirely sure how one decides if one's envelope is 'small' or 'large'...

agentxpndble March 29 2007, 14:53:41 UTC

Sounds like we are moving to essentially the same system you are on. It makes a lot of sense in theory, but on a day-to-day, general public level I sense trouble.

I'm still not entirely sure how one decides if one's envelope is 'small' or 'large'...

They gave us flowcharts. Really elaborate flowcharts. :::headdesk:::

rosie55 March 29 2007, 12:32:49 UTC

Yes, the UK system changed last year and is now much more complex so you stand there trying to decide which size letter or packet you are sending, checking size, weight and thickness. No fun!
We've had the forever stamps for a few years now - I'm not sure how they work the economics but we can buy books of first and second class stamps marked just as that and they are still valid when the rates change. It works for me, not so sure how it suits them!

agentxpndble March 29 2007, 14:57:36 UTC

Sounds like we are moving to essentially the same system you are on. It makes a lot of sense in theory, but on a day-to-day, general public level I sense trouble.

The forever stamps make sense in theory but when they raise the rates, I know Americans... They will buy hundreds of dollars worth and stock up for 10 years - Which means they *won't* be buying them again for several years. I would think that people doing this on a mass scale would damage the operating expenses of the post office for that first few years. But maybe my logic is faulty and it won't be a problem - Only time will tell.